A sliding bearing is known in the art which comprises a bearing alloy layer having a multitude of circumferentially extending and axially spaced annular grooves formed around the inner peripheral surface thereof to define a circumferentially extending peak between a pair of axially adjacent annular grooves, an intermediate layer provided on the surface of the bearing alloy layer, and an overlay layer provided on the surface of the intermediate layer, the arrangement bearing such that when the overlay layer and the intermediate layer are partly abraded, beginning from the surface of the overlay layer, the overlay layer and the intermediate layer which remain in the recess of the annular groove, as well as the peak of the bearing alloy layer, are exposed (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 205,014/198.5).
With a sliding bearing thus constructed, when the overlay layer and the intermediate layer are partly abraded beginning from the surface of the overlay layer, the overlay layer and the intermediate layer which remain in the recess of the annular groove, as well as the peak of the bearing alloy layer, are exposed, thus preventing the intermediate layer from being extensively exposed immediately, as experienced in a sliding bearing of the the kind which is not provided with such annular grooves, which would cause a substantial reduction in seizure resistance as a result of the extensive exposure of the intermediate layer.
However, in the cited Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application, it is described that the intended effect is achieved only when the depth of the annular groove or the height of the peak is equal to or greater than one and one-half the thickness of the intermediate layer and equal to or greater than 5 .mu.m.